Ch.26The Mercenary Captain Who Dislikes Women (7)

In response to my proposal, Adelheid silently stared at me.

This was a calculated gamble that seemed to have some chance of success.

If my guess was correct, Adelheid clearly wanted to continue receiving my gentle treatment.

And she seemed to harbor some expectations about her newly feminine appearance.

Her earlier suggestion that the crazy Chihuahua-like woman, the 2nd Division Captain, should become a maid was probably half-serious.

She’s definitely feeling regretful right now, so I should push a bit more.

If I succeed, I can properly manipulate Adelheid, and if I fail, it doesn’t matter.

I’m still useful here, so they won’t kill me.

If I fail, I’ll just make another plan.

“You want to be my servant?”

Adelheid finally spoke.

“Yes, Captain. I’ll serve you to help maintain your dignity as a captain.”

“And what is this ‘dignity as a captain’?”

“Naturally, it’s always having a neat appearance, proper attire, and a pleasant fragrance.”

Suddenly, Adelheid’s expression hardened frighteningly.

“Take this bastard away!”

As Adelheid shouted, subordinates burst through the door and dragged me from my chair.

As I rolled on the floor, they started kicking me mercilessly.

Damn it, seriously. I haven’t even eaten properly yet.

“Take him away now! Starve him until tomorrow evening!”

“No, Captain! What is this—gack!”

Is she truly insane?

I knew she had a terrible personality, but I never thought she’d be this capricious.

It’s almost like she has a split personality.

Thrown into the kitchen, I got up and dusted off my clothes, deep in thought.

Strange, really strange.

Why didn’t it work?

This is truly bizarre…

* * * * *

After the potion maker was dragged away, Adelheid rushed to her bedroom and stood before the mirror.

She ran her hands through her hair and over her face, then lowered her head to sniff at her breastplate.

It was because of what that potion maker had said.

‘Naturally, it’s always having a neat appearance, proper attire, and a pleasant fragrance.’

Did that mean she currently had a dirty appearance, improper attire, and smelled bad?

In the past, Adelheid wouldn’t have cared about such things.

But somehow, that arrogant potion maker’s words had made her unexpectedly sensitive.

Thinking about it now, she realized she had never properly maintained this armor.

She merely wiped off sweat and blood roughly and let it dry in the shade.

And the clothes she wore underneath were just clumsily washed in plain water by her clumsy subordinates who knew nothing about housework.

When she was among mercenaries, it didn’t matter, but to an outsider like him, it must have been quite offensive to the senses.

How embarrassing.

Adelheid gasped in surprise at her own thought.

Did she just feel embarrassed?

The great Adelheid Remugen, mercenary captain?

Damn it all.

Bringing that strange man here has ruined everything.

This won’t do.

She needed to punish him personally to feel better.

With an angry expression, Adelheid strode purposefully toward the kitchen where the potion maker was confined.

Even though she had just angrily sent him away.

* * * * *

As I was opening a potion to eat because I was hungry, the door suddenly burst open and a mercenary shouted.

“Back against the wall!”

“What?”

“The captain is coming. You’re as good as dead now.”

“What…?”

“You’ll be begging for death soon.”

“Whaaat…?”

The mercenary stepped aside as Adelheid entered the room.

What kind of crazy situation is this now, seriously.

When the door closed, Adelheid crossed her arms and looked down at me arrogantly.

“I think I need to cut out that insolent tongue of yours to find some peace of mind.”

“Is that so. But if I can’t speak, then you, Captain…”

“Shut up! Before I rip out your tongue!”

“Yes.”

“I told you to shut up!”

Adelheid grabbed my collar and shook me in a rage.

It seems the women in this mercenary group have a hobby of collar-grabbing.

“Shut up and listen, you damn potion-brewing bastard.”

Adelheid gritted her teeth as she pulled my collar.

“You insulted me. You treated me like a woman unfit to be a mercenary captain.”

I wanted to say I never did that, but since I’m not a masochist, I kept my mouth shut.

“And then you had the audacity to interfere with me. Maid? Servant? Beauty care? What nonsense?”

Adelheid continued, breathing heavily.

“You’re wrong. I’m not a woman. I’m a man who was born in the wrong body as a woman. No matter what you say to me, I won’t even blink. Got it?!”

“I under—”

Oh right. She told me to shut up.

Adelheid slapped my cheek, making me see stars.

“Shut up! I said shut up! Didn’t I tell you to shut up?!”

* * * * *

Adelheid pressed on fiercely.

She was afraid of what might come out of the potion maker’s mouth next.

She feared he might say something strange again that would shake her resolve.

The Remugen mercenary group was a notorious armed force in the Empire.

The foundation of her leadership was based on her status as the previous captain’s daughter and her own conduct—suppressing herself while acting more rough and cruel than her subordinates.

But this man was trying to completely destroy one of those pillars.

She couldn’t listen anymore.

Adelheid had already nearly fallen for his words several times, and if she did, this mercenary group would be finished.

Yet even so, Adelheid wanted him to speak again.

She was going crazy not understanding why she felt this way, which was why she was treating the potion maker so violently.

Just like her father had treated her.

“Captain…”

The potion maker, whose cheek was gradually swelling, slowly opened his mouth.

“I clearly told you to keep your mouth shut.”

“You are beautiful, Captain.”

“If you open your mouth again…”

“Those earrings really suit you well.”

Adelheid’s body froze as she was about to raise her fist.

“Those earrings. You didn’t buy them yourself, did you? Who gave them to you? Whoever it was must have excellent taste.”

“Stop! I’ll kill you!”

Despite saying this, Adelheid couldn’t take any action.

“Captain. Why do you think your subordinates follow you?”

The potion maker continued speaking as Adelheid hesitated.

“Because you cut your hair short? Because you wear dirty armor like a man and speak roughly? If being manly is the qualification for a mercenary captain, aren’t there many actual male subordinates who are manlier than you?”

The potion maker slowly freed his collar from Adelheid’s weakening grip.

“Your subordinates follow you because you’re the previous captain’s daughter, and because your fighting skills are superior. So, Captain.”

The potion maker gently held Adelheid’s hand that he had just freed.

“You don’t need to try so hard to be like a man. Even if you take care of yourself a little, your subordinates won’t turn their backs on you.”

Adelheid, who had been staring blankly at the potion maker, hastily pulled her hand away.

She wanted to snap at him, but her mouth wouldn’t move properly.

This potion maker was fully acknowledging and understanding what no one had ever acknowledged before—what she had deliberately ignored.

I really hate this…

“Delphinapo.”

“What…?”

Adelheid asked, confused by the unfamiliar word from the potion maker’s mouth.

“What is that…?”

“It’s a perfume. I think it would suit you well, Captain. If you’re interested, perhaps you could try getting some?”

“Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?”

“Of course not. I’m not telling you what to do, just suggesting…”

“Shut up and make potions…!”

Adelheid cut off the potion maker’s words and stormed out angrily.

“Captain. You were really giving him a severe scolding in there.”

A subordinate standing outside the door gave a thumbs up.

“He must be terrified now and won’t dare to run his mouth again.”

“I’m sure. How dare he. Anyway… I need to get something from outside.”

“Please tell me. What is it?”

“There’s a perfume called Delphinapo. Do you know it?”

“No? First time I’ve heard of it. But perfume? Surely you’re not going to use it, Captain?”

“No. He said that perfume is needed as an ingredient for potions. Get it for me.”

“Understood. I’ll have the patrol team get it.”

As Adelheid walked down the corridor, she fingered her earrings.

These earrings were a gift from her mother, who died when she was young, given secretly without her father knowing.

Her mother, who had been kidnapped, raped, and forced into marriage during a mercenary raid, didn’t want Adelheid to become a ruthless mercenary like her husband.

But she couldn’t go against her husband, so instead she left these earrings.

Hoping that Adelheid wouldn’t completely lose herself.

That bastard hit my weak spot perfectly.

Wait. How does a mere potion shop owner know that I inherited the mercenary group…?

No, it must be because he’s in a place where many travelers come and go, so he’s heard various rumors…

That bastard…

* * * * *

“What…? Delphinapo perfume?”

The 2nd Division Captain, who was about to leave for patrol duty, tilted her head at the request to get perfume.

“Perfume? What kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden?”

“The Captain ordered us to get it. She said it’s needed as an ingredient for potions.”

“Perfume as a potion ingredient? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“I don’t know either. She had a private meeting with that potion maker, thoroughly crushed him, and then suddenly ordered us to get this.”

The 2nd Division Captain, who had been wondering if the potion maker was trying something strange with the captain again, frowned at these words.

She crushed the potion maker? So it wasn’t the potion maker’s doing?

But no matter how she thought about it, perfume in consumable potions made no sense.

And the captain wouldn’t wear perfume herself, and there’s no one delicate enough in this mercenary group to use perfume.

Why suddenly perfume…?

Ah, could it be…?

Could it be… that she wants to give it to me…?

It was the 2nd Division Captain’s birthday a few days ago.

As rough mercenaries typically do, everyone completely ignored birthdays, but perhaps the captain remembered and wanted to celebrate it!

She’s pretending it’s a potion ingredient, but later she’ll say, “Actually, this was meant for you!”

The captain sees me as a woman!

“Heeeeng, Captaaaain…”

“What are you doing? Let’s get going.”

“Shut up!”